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Afro-Gastro festival launched in Accra
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has officially launched the Afro-Gastro festival programme, a celebration of African and diaspora culinary heritage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
The festival, happening in October, aims to unite culinary experts, artists, researchers, and diaspora communities through food exhibitions, performances, and workshops.
Ms Gomashie described the festival as a journey to honour shared culinary heritage, calling on all stakeholders to unite in celebrating Africa’s story through food.
She highlighted how food serves as a bridge connecting Africans and the diaspora, noting that dishes like Waakye, Jollof, Callaloo, and Moi Moi carry stories of migration, resilience, and cultural identity.
“The October festival will build on the foundation laid at the launch, with plans to involve embassies, cultural institutions, and the public,” she said.
She thanked the organising committee, partners, and media for their support, emphasising that the event belongs to Ghanaians and Africans worldwide.
The Afro-Gastro Festival, which forms part of the Black Star Experience, is envisioned as a “gathering where every heritage is honoured and every story is shared through food.”
By Spectator reporter
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
